Maryanne Demasi, reports

Maryanne Demasi, reports

Share this post

Maryanne Demasi, reports
Maryanne Demasi, reports
Part 1: BMJ Investigation reveals serious flaws in trials of blockbuster anti-clotting drug

Part 1: BMJ Investigation reveals serious flaws in trials of blockbuster anti-clotting drug

The anti-clotting drug ticagrelor was approved on flawed studies—and remains widely used today despite evidence of scientific misconduct and regulatory failure.

Maryanne Demasi, PhD's avatar
Maryanne Demasi, PhD
Jul 06, 2025
∙ Paid
140

Share this post

Maryanne Demasi, reports
Maryanne Demasi, reports
Part 1: BMJ Investigation reveals serious flaws in trials of blockbuster anti-clotting drug
17
27
Share

For more than a decade, millions of people around the world have taken TICAGRELOR—an anti-clotting drug to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke.

It’s sold as Brilinta in the US and Australia, and Brilique in Europe.

Doctors routinely prescribe it for people after stenting, heart attacks or acute coronary syndrome—a condition where the blood flow to the heart is blocked.

Marketed as faster and more effective than its cheaper competitor clopidogrel (Plavix), ticagrelor became a multibillion-dollar success for AstraZeneca and was rapidly adopted into cardiology guidelines across the globe.

But that foundation is now collapsing.

A series of investigations by senior editor Peter Doshi at The BMJ has uncovered serious irregularities in both the pivotal trial that launched the drug and two key studies that underpinned its mechanism of action.

The new evidence raises urgent questions about whether ticagrelor should ever have been approved—and why it remains on the market today.

Professor Peter Doshi, senior editor The BMJ

This post is for paid subscribers

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Maryanne Demasi
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share